‘We need home in Lagos, money to survive’ – Ado Bayero’s daughter to Kano governor, others

Zainab, daughter of the late Emir of Kano Ado Bayero, has sought Governor Abba Yusuf’s help for a house and financial support.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that 83-year-old Bayero died on 6 June 2014 and was buried according to Islamic rites in Kano.

He ruled from 1963 to 2014 and became the longest-serving emir in Kano’s history.

In an interview with this newspaper on Friday, Zainab shared the challenges she, her mother, and her brother have been facing since her father’s death.

The first-time filmmaker said: “I know a lot of people will be very surprised that the daughter of an Emir is in this kind of situation. Being born into a polygamous home, there are a lot of intrigues and divisions. The whole thing started when my daddy died; his death left a void within the family. Everyone was alone, especially me, my mother and my younger brother. We were not given a part of his (my father’s) estate, so we were left in a terrible situation, which has been going on for ten years.

“We’ve been trying to survive and find ways to get back on our feet and return to a proper environment—to have a home, not renting or moving from hotel to hotel. We would love the governor to help us buy or give us money to get a house here in Lagos. Since our father’s death, we believe it would be better to relocate to Lagos and start a new life for safety and freedom and to live our lives the way we want. However, with the current skyrocketing prices, we’re looking at around N150 million for a house in Lagos.”

Previous help

Additionally, Zainab acknowledged that Mr Yusuf had assisted them in June but stated that it was insufficient to address their ongoing struggles.

She said the financial support for housing and other expenses was insufficient to alleviate their financial burdens, and they have returned to the same situation.

She also appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and compassionate Nigerians for support.

“I reached out to the governor in a publication on 23 June when my mother, brother, and I were staying at a hotel in VI. We haven’t had an apartment since last year and were behind on hotel bills. The next day, he sent someone to settle the bills and asked, ‘What do we need?’ We told him we wanted a home, for my brother to return to school, and something to do.

“He (the governor through his representative) gave us some money, but we didn’t meet the governor in person; it was all through an intermediary. We don’t know the governor’s plans, but he mentioned wanting to buy us a house in Kano. I told him, no, we want a house in Lagos. What he gave us wasn’t enough to rent a house for a year. So, we’ve been trying to find a place, but the funds aren’t sufficient. We’re in the same situation again,” said Zainab.

More so, she said their hotel booking has expired, and they’ll have to check out on Saturday with no place to stay.

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Documentary

The late Emir’s daughter also requested the governor’s support for her filmmaking career and a biopic documentary (My Father, the Emir: A Portrait of Ado Bayero).

She stated that the documentary narrates the journey of a daughter retracing her father’s legacy, significant achievements, and the experiences he had in Nigeria.

Zainab added, “I was thinking he (Mr Yusuf) could launch it (the documentary) as a project about the longest-reigning monarch in Kano’s history. My father made history as the most powerful and influential monarch during a pivotal time in both Kano and Nigeria’s history. For nearly five decades, he was synonymous with Kano, earning immense respect from the people of Kano and Nigeria.

“So, since this is a Kano State project about the Emir of Kano, the Kano State government should officially launch it. The documentary portrays a great monarch and serves as a piece of tourism for Kano that could be showcased on the world stage and preserved in the archives and museums. I was hoping the governor would call me so we could arrange for him to officially unveil it at the government house or another suitable location.”

Zainab last made headlines in 2023 when she revealed to this newspaper the opposition from Northern elite and emirs toward her father’s biopic.